The NASA high pressure facility and turbine test rig
A description of the facility and turbine test rig is presented. Also discussed is the turbine cooling test program.
Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Stepka, F. S..
A description of the facility and turbine test rig is presented. Also discussed is the turbine cooling test program.
After a brief review of past efforts involving the forced-convection cooling of gas turbines, the paper surveys the state of the art of the liquid cooling of gas turbines. Emphasis is placed on thermosyphon methods of cooling, including those utilizing closed, open, and closed-loop thermosyphons; other methods, including sweat, spray and stator cooling, are also discussed. The more significant research efforts, design data, correlations, and analytical methods are mentioned and voids in technology are summarized.
This paper summarizes the work conducted at the NASA Lewis Research Center to evolve and evaluate a two-layer, thermal-barrier coating system. A durable, two-layer, plasma-sprayed coating consisting of a ceramic layer over a metallic layer was developed that has the potential of insulating hot engine parts and thereby reducing metal temperatures and coolant flow requirements and/or permitting use of less costly and complex cooling configurations and materials. The investigations evaluated the reflective and insulative capability, microstructure, and durability of several coating materials on flat metal specimens, a combustor liner, and turbine vanes and blades. In addition, the effect on the aerodynamic performance of a coated turbine vane was measured. The tests were conducted in furnaces, cascades, hot-gas rigs, an engine combustor, and a research turbojet engine. Included also are summaries of current research related to the coating and potential applications for the coating.
A durable, two-layer, plasma-sprayed coating consisting of a ceramic layer over a metallic layer was developed that has the potential of insulating hot engine parts and thereby reducing metal temperatures and coolant flow requirements and/or permitting use of less costly and complex cooling configurations and materials. The investigations evaluated the reflective and insulative capability, microstructure, and durability of several coating materials on flat metal specimens, a combustor liner, and turbine vanes and blades. In addition, the effect on the aerodynamic performance of a coated turbine vane was measured. The tests were conducted in furnaces, cascades, hot-gas rigs, an engine combustor, and a research turbojet engine. Summaries of current research related to the coating and potential applications for the coating are included.
Aerodynamic effects of trailing edge geometry, hole size, angle, spacing, and shape have been studied in two- and three-dimensional cascades and in a warm turbine test series. Heat transfer studies have been carried out in various two- and three-dimensional test facilities in order to provide corresponding heat transfer data. Results are shown in terms of cooling effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency for various coolant fractions, coolant-primary temperature ratios, and cooling configurations.
Ceramic thermal-barrier coatings on hot engine parts have the potential to reduce metal temperatures, coolant requirements, cost, and complexity of the cooling configuration, and to increase life, turbine efficiency and gas temperature. Coating systems consisting of a plasma-sprayed layer of zirconia stabilized with either yttria, magnesia or calcia over a thin alloy bond coat have been developed, their potential analyzed and their durability and benefits evaluated in a turbojet engine. The coatings on air-cooled rotating blades were in good condition after completing as many as 500 two-minute cycles of engine operation between full power at a gas temperature of 1644 K and flameout, or as much as 150 hours of steady-state operation on cooled vanes and blades at gas temperatures as high as 1644 K witn 35 start and stop cycles. On the basis of durability and processing cost, the yttria-stabilized zirconia was considered the best of the three coatings investigated.
Fog, formed from dry ice and water, is used to simulate coolant inside pressure-tight tank. Coolant's interaction with mainstream flow is observed visually and photographed.
An analysis was made to determine the potential benefits of using a ceramic thermal insulation coating of calcia-stabilized zirconia on cooled engine parts. The analysis was applied to turbine vanes of a high temperature and high pressure core engine and a moderate temperature and low pressure research engine. Measurements made during engine operation showed that the coating substantially reduced vane metal wall temperatures. Evaluation of the durability of the coating on turbine vanes and blades in a furnace and engine were encouraging.
Coating systems consisting of a plasma sprayed layer of zirconia stabilized with either yttria, magnesia or calcia over a thin alloy bond coat have been developed, their potential was analyzed and their durability and benefits evaluated in a turbojet engine. The coatings on air cooled rotating blades were in good condition after completing as many as 500 two-minute cycles of engine operation between full power at a gas temperature of 1644 K and flameout, or as much as 150 hours of steady state operation on cooled vanes and blades at gas temperatures as high as 1644 K with 35 start and stop cycles. On the basis of durability and processing cost, the yttria stabilized zirconia was considered the best of the three coatings investigated.
Aerodynamic effects of trailing edge geometry, hole size, angle, spacing, and shape were studied in two- and three-dimensional cascades and in a warm turbine test series. Heat transfer studies were carried out in various two- and three-dimensional test facilities in order to provide corresponding heat transfer data. Results are shown in terms of cooling effectiveness and aerodynamic efficiency for various coolant fractions, coolant-primary temperature ratios, and cooling configurations.
A study is made of the effect of testing cooled parts of current and advanced gas turbine engines at the reduced temperature and pressure conditions which maintain similarity with the engine environment. Some of the problems facing the experimentalist in evaluating heat transfer and aerodynamic performance when hardware is tested at conditions other than the actual engine environment are considered. Low temperature and pressure test environments can simulate the performance of actual size prototype engine hardware within the tolerance of experimental accuracy if appropriate similarity conditions are satisfied. Failure to adhere to these similarity constraints because of test facility limitations or other reasons, can result in a number of serious errors in projecting the performance of test hardware to engine conditions.
Analytic model of boundary conditions for heat transfer coefficients through porous walls
Cooling, coking, construction, and structural characteristics of jet fuel-cooled plug nozzle for afterburning turbojet
Turbine aerodynamic and cooling requirements for turbojet powered Mach 3 transport using methane fuel
Analysis of first stage turbine stator vane and rotor blade cooling designs for application in highspeed aircraft
Approximate average midspan metal temperatures and coolant flow requirements for turbine airfoils cooled by compressor exit bleed air
Effects of projectile size, material, and impact velocity on metal wall fracture of liquid filled tank
Projectile-impact-induced fracture of liquid filled, filament-reinforced plastic or aluminum tanks